Deputy Chief Minister Gaikhangam Gangmei who holds the Home portfolio has said that the government takes a serious view of the reports that some areas of Manipur may be usurped by Myanmar after the erection of the border fence. Talking to journalists in Imphal on Wednesday, Mr. Gangmei said that there is no Indian who will be happy when some areas are lost to a neighbour.
He said that the Manipur government is keeping its eyes and ears open and is certainly not remaining silent over the issue.
“The government had set up a high powered committee to look into the issue. The committee members had visited the border areas and government is waiting for its report. As soon as the government receives the official report a ministerial team will visit the border areas to make an on-the-spot inquiry,” he said.
He further said that the Manipur government is sending reports of all developments on the border issue to the Union government.
The government committee headed by Principal Secretary (Home) Suresh Babu had visited the border areas on Monday. Mr. Babu told journalists that it was a security fence and not a border fence. But he was silenced by activists who wanted to know which part of India's border has both security and border fences side by side. Why should a security fence bifurcate most of the tribal villages along the border, they wanted to know.
Governor Ashwani Kumar also visited the border areas on Tuesday. He assured the people that he will take up the matter with the Union government.
